Thursday, 24 October 2013

Green Eco Homes and Real Estate

Have you ever wondered what makes real estate properties 'green' or 'eco friendly'? Hopefully I can help you learn how to identify properties that meet some or all of these green qualifications in both construction and operation. Whether you are looking to buy green, or you want to 'green' your present home in order to sell it I hope to help you in your endeavor, and especially if you are simply looking to implement easy green features and habits, creating a green home and a more eco-friendly lifestyle.

I definitely know there are countless things I could add to my list here, but for now I want to merely create the mood of what a green home would look like. One thing's for sure, no matter how green you go, make sure it's done in a light, joyful way that doesn't impose on others. We are where we are at any given time in our lives, and there will always be someone greener than us! Green pride, should always be personal.

These green lifestyle choices not only enhance our health, but also our finances! Yeah green, puts green in your pocket!

So what features might make a property green or eco-friendly...

Usually homes are demolished, but do you know they can be deconstructed instead? Antique stores have known for centuries the brilliance of reclaimed and reuse of materials. Certainly a great percentage of a homes materials can come from a pre-used source. I know of one yoga studio that has the most gorgeous wood floors reclaimed from an old Bank of America historic building that was being refurbished. And it was free! Only the cost of removal! What a conversation piece! Just as relevant are materials derived from easily renewable sources, bamboo versus ancient oak trees.

The paint we use, low or zero VOC paint. You know that 'new home smell' we all love, usually from a fresh coat of paint? Well that's the smell of your lungs being poisoned! There are many sources of green power or at least eco choices, such as solar panels for electricity, natural day lighting via skylights and low voltage lighting for the evening. Site orientation makes such a difference, imagine orienting the home toward the sun in colder climates and alternatively catching cool breezes in warmer climates? Not only that but using landscaping to help. Deciduous trees to shade windows in the summer, yet let in warm sun in the winter. Green comes in many shades! Overall, we should seek durable, healthy, sustain-ably sourced 'green' building materials, ones that are non-toxic thus helping improve indoor air quality.

In the garden permeable paving helps guide 'fresh' water to underground tables rather than run off via drain pipes to the salt water ocean. The use of native, zero or low water use gardens not only replace a strange obsession with antiquated English grass lawns but also encourage native birds and butterflies into your garden! Green landscaping can create a truly magical garden.

Not every green home will embody all features. The hope is that we are making lifestyle choices that are healthier for us, cheaper on a daily basis and kinder to our planet.

I think green, eco-friendly lifestyle choices are not only the logical thing to do, but the financially clever thing to do. I'm no Donald Trump, but if I had two homes, one build in the conventional manner with all toxic formaldehyde off gassing materials, with my kid suffering from asthma, expensive to heat and cool... then across the street is another home for sale, essentially the same design and price except it's cheaper to run and healthier to live in... what is the choice?

The green one of course! No doubt you would choose the green, eco-friendly home. Ask anyone... Green is the new black!